School toilet rules: Why some schools lock toilets during lessons - and how it impacts students

• It is generally left up to schools to work out a bathroom policy that works for them in the UK.
• Schools can face challenges managing pupil behaviour in bathrooms, like vandalism or vaping.
• But charities say locking bathrooms risks causing stress and embarrassment to pupils with health conditions, who don’t want to be singled out.
• Pupils say it can even disrupt their education, making it hard to concentrate - or even making them want to stay home.

Fears of not being able to use the toilet during class time without outing themselves has left pupils with health conditions feeling small and embarrassed, they say.

A number of schools have made headlines in recent months for adopting a policy of locking bathrooms during lessons - meaning pupils need to plan ahead to go during breaks.

Two secondary schools on the Isle of Man recently came under fire for installing CCTV cameras in school bathrooms after banning pupils from using them during lessons, The Sun reports, while a school in Coventry got families up in arms after installing big metal doors on their bathrooms that were only unlocked when class wasn’t in session, according to the Daily Mail.

Pupils have even staged walkouts or protests in some high profile cases, including one in Leeds and another in Stoke-on-Trent last year. Charities say these policies are harmful to children with health conditions and risk embarrassment, while schools say they are having to contend with serious safeguarding and behavioural issues in school toilets.

But how do pupils with health conditions feel about the rule, and what is the actual law? Here’s what you need to know:

How does locking school bathrooms affect pupils?

A recent pupil who left secondary school two years ago, who we have opted not to name, told us that even after being diagnosed with endometriosis - a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other parts of the body - many of her teachers treated her the same as other pupils, refusing to let her leave class to use the toilet.

She said: “I think not having access [to the bathroom] definitely affected my education, as I would often not want to attend school due to the fear of potentially bleeding out or having to sit and suffer in class. I also felt my concentration was greatly affected, as I was constantly worrying about things like that happening... I was living in total apprehension.”

She had felt embarrassed, at first, to talk about periods or her condition, as it still felt “taboo”. But eventually she realised nothing was going to change if she didn’t speak out.

The former pupil added: “I think often people don’t see it as a chronic illness and for me that makes me feel so small and like it’s all in my head. School is hard enough for everyone anyway and with this added stress it makes it a lot harder.”

Unfortunately, her experience was not an entirely novel one for pupils with menstrual health conditions. A spokesperson for Endometriosis UK told us that it was “incredibly important” that young people who may be experiencing symptoms like heavy bleeding have access to a toilet in school as and when they need it, “without shame or embarrassment”.

“Young people shouldn’t be missing school because they are afraid that they will not have access to the facilities they need to manage their condition and symptoms. The impact of lost education and academic attainment can have a lifelong impact on career and prospects,” they continued.

Endometriosis UK believes that education around menstrual wellbeing needed to remain part of the curriculum for both primary and secondary school-aged children, to create a shared understanding of menstrual health in schools for both them and staff. “Not only would this help overcome the taboo and embarrassment around periods, but also ensure all children, regardless of gender, understand what is normal and how to seek help if required.”

ERIC, a national charity for children with bowel and bladder conditions, deals with many calls to its helpline from parents “in despair”, whose children were not being allowed to use the toilet at school. CEO Juliette Rayner told us that all learners should be allowed open access to the toilet, but it was particularly important for those learners known to have an issue.

As children got older they were usually able to go to the bathroom themselves during breaks, but she believed all schools should have a system in place to allow any pupils access when really needed. Younger children could often be too embarrassed to put their hand up and ask, while older pupils with health issues might feel singled out or humiliated if their classmates saw them use a pass specifically for special toilet access.

“Not being able to use the toilet can have a detrimental impact on the student’s health. A young person with a bladder or bowel condition needs access at all times to change catheters, prevent wetting and soiling accidents. Accidents in class are mortifying for a young person and will have a huge impact on their ability to learn, their self esteem and relationships,” Ms Rayner continued.

The charity recently carried out a survey of young people who’d been denied access to the toilet, due to be published this October. One said it made them constantly take sick days off from school, while another said it left them in pain - and made it hard to concentrate. Another added: “It's embarrassing. I don't want to speak to teachers as they don't understand. Bullying happens in the toilets too. Other children laugh at me if I need to use the toilet often. I often feel I'm not going to make it to the toilet.”

Why do schools do this - and are they allowed?

Schools can face challenges managing the behaviour of some students using school toilets, as well as the movement of students around the school during lesson time. Justifications given by schools that have hit the headlines for enacting the controversial policy recently include repeated cases of vandalism which could be pricey to fix, or not having enough staff available outside of classrooms to safeguard children using the bathroom.

Anecdotal reports from parents have mentioned concerns around students using bathrooms to skip class, use their phones, or vape.

According to the Department for Education, it is up to school leadership to develop policies on toilet use that meet their school’s needs. They do, however, have to meet the government’s standards for school premises. These outline that there need to be specific bathrooms for pupils that can be informally watched over by staff while still respecting privacy - although legislation doesn’t specify how many.

The Equality Act also prohibits schools from not letting pupils access services or facilities due to a protected characteristic, which includes disabilities. Schools need to provide a suitable toilet and washing facilities for these students under their legal obligations.

Charities, including ERIC’s CEO Rayner, feel the law in the UK remains vague when it comes to access to toilets for pupils when the need arises, but they say it is a fundamental human right and necessary for good health and wellbeing. “There must be a better way for our young people.”

If you’re a young person affected by a bowel or bladder condition, or if you’re a parent or caregiver supporting a child who is, ERIC has created a page with guidance and advice for approaching the issue at school. You can find it online here.

If you believe you or a child is being impacted by unfair bathroom policies, the government recommends talking to the school in the first instance. But if you need to make a complaint, you can find out more about this process here.